Math+ Flight School

[goplay234]

Just wondering...How much actual computational math knowledge is needed to get through flight school. I tend to be pretty stupid on that subject so I figured I would ask. How I got through the math portion of the ASTB I will never know. Act of God I guess. Anways, let me know.
--goplay

 

[bch]

don't sweat it.

 

[The Wiz]

goplay234, I can relate to you. I to am interested in the answer to this question. Math is like a forgein languge to me.

 

[Elder]

I'll be starting API and am worried as well.

It's not that I can't do it. It's just that over the last 15 years, I've chosen not to do it - ala calculator and what not.

So, yeah.. my skills aren't nearly as sharp as I'd like them to be..

"What's the reciprical of 190?"

"UUhh.. let's see.. 190 - 180 .. hrm.. Q?"

 

[Gatordev]

Just keep in mind that a lot of that stuff is in front of you. What's the reciprical of 190? Well, when I look down at my BDHI, I see it's 010. Point to Points can be the scrariest if you try and think them through. You're on the 090 radial at 10 and you want to get to the 360 at 5. Well, if you use trigonemtry, you'll get the exact answer. If you use a whiz wheel, people will laugh at you. But if you just look at the stupid heading indicator, it tells you the answer. Of the top of my head...about 300 degrees if I had to guess.

Is it good to know math? Sure. It really does help to know that the ship is doing 10 knots, so that in 8 minutes you know he's gone 1.3 miles (or not quite 3000 yards), but that stuff comes w/ time. Just learn to use the tools they give you when you're in API or Primary (whiz wheel, calculator, plotter) and you'll do fine.

 

[The Wiz]

no comprenda (I dont not comprehend) the math part you used as an example, the point of the message came acroos just fine thanks.

 

[unfUSN]

I can only speak of API... but the only real computational part of API was in NAV... and that was more ratio type estimations.

LTJG Payne

 

[lvgravy]

I found a great book online called "Mental Math for Pilots." You can order it on Amazon.com It gives great examples of how to compute math in the cockpit in an easy and quick way. One example shows how to figure reciprocals quickly. For headings under 180, you add 200 and subtract 20 or headings over 180 you subtract 200 and add 20. I am a dumbsh$t when it comes to math as well and I am able to compute reciprocals a lot faster using that trick rather than adding or subtracting 180 from a heading. It also gives examples how to compute enroute descents, fix to fixes, ground speed, cross winds,temp conversions, ect in your head as well. Most of the formulas are very accurate.

 

[Gatordev]

Gravy:

I guess that's my point though. A lot of those things you mentioned you pick up through training, which certainly isn't to say that it's not good stuff beforehand.

One of the AWs on cruise has a hard time w/ numbers. The guy is an awesome AW and aircrewman, not to mention that I really like the guy, but he just has trouble keeping numbers straight in his head. We all have our issues...I have a really hard time memorizing things verbatim.

Anyway, there would be a couple of times that we'd be heading back to the boat at the end of a flight, and we'd take turns each flight estimating what airspeed we needed to fly in order to be overhead right at the time we got green deck. I know the pointy nose guys have to do that everytime, but ours is a little different in that we're literally rolling final and over the deck, not just pushing over. But I digress. The point was that at first, our AW would have a serious SWAG, but when we'd tell him some cheats to use, he picked it up pretty quick (it doesn't hurt that he's one smart MF, too). After awhile, his estimate and what the computer said were usally pretty close.